The present invention relates to a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) and more particularly, to a fuel cell device using the PEFC and a fuel cell management system.
The fuel cell device using the PEFC is utilized in general. In addition, how to construct and control a hydrogen production apparatus has been studied for the sake of its practical operation. As an example, US 2003/0008187A1 (Patent Document 1) proposes in FIG. 1 a power generation system using a hydrogen production apparatus capable of optimally maintaining the temperature of a reform reactor in operation irrespective of the scale of production volumes of hydrogen.
The aforementioned Patent Document 1 contemplates trade-off between reduction in costs of the equipment and maintenance/stabilization of accuracies of hydrogen production. The reaction can be stabilized through simplified control but, on the other hand, management of individual component units constituting the fuel cell device is not referred to.
In the case of the fuel cell device, however, a trader concerned in offering materials is a gas company, a trader concerned in hot water reserve/supply is a waterworks dealer and an electric power company is concerned in an electric system, demonstrating that traders juridically in charge of different functions are not always integrated into a single company, and besides expert manufacturers are sometimes concerned in a fuel reform unit and a fuel cell stack unit, respectively. In consequence, mutual contact cannot always be made, having difficulty in assuring systematic maintenance of the fuel cell device.
Recently, the fuel cell device has been packaged so that it may be used as a home subsidiary power source on trial. For domestic widespread use, achievement of systematic maintenance and stable operation of the fuel cell device has been desired.